The Academy Nursery School

Inspection of The Academy Nursery School The Academy of Gymnastics, 1 Harbourmead, Harbour Road Trading Estate, Bristol BS20 7AY

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Not applicable

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The provision is good

Children are very happy and content. They enjoy their nursery experiences, make friends and form close relationships with their peers and the staff caring for them. Children show that they feel safe as they talk happily with their friends. They understand the nursery routines and rules. Children are polite and respectful and they show great kindness and care towards each other.

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The provision is good

Staff have high expectations of children and successfully help them to develop the necessary skills for their future learning. Generally, staff support children's learning and development well. For example, the curriculum is tailored to children's individual needs and interests. Staff incorporate mathematics well into a range of everyday activities. This is helping children develop particularly well in this area. Children show an interest in mathematics and have good mathematical skills, such as counting, recognising numbers and matching colours. They remember what they have learned and work out that 'four children' plus 'four more' means that there are eight children in total.

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The provision is good

The nursery closed during the first COVID-19 (coronavirus) lockdown. The manager made regular calls to parents of those children not attending to check on their welfare. As a response to the COVID-19 pandemic, leaders reviewed the collection arrangements. Parents now drop children off at the door and staff carry out regular parent meetings via telephone.

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need to do better?

n Parents speak highly of the nursery. They say they are extremely happy with their children's progress and feel that staff really take their time getting to know their children. Parents feel very well informed about their children's learning and welcome ideas on how to support children's learning at home. n Children play cooperatively and behave well. They learn to respect each other and take part in establishing rules so they learn what is expected of them. n Staff talk to children throughout their play and encourage good understanding. They have a clear comprehension of how children develop their conversation skills. They use songs to help support children's use of sounds to encourage them to pronounce words. However, on some occasions, the staff do not ask open-ended questions to encourage children to think and fully express their thoughts and ideas. n Staff do not organise group activities well enough to fully engage every child

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need to do better?

taking part. These activities are sometimes too long and challenging for the youngest children. n Children have good levels of independence in their self-care. Older children can put their coats and wellies on. Younger children show a willingness to 'have a

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need to do better?

30 September 2021 go' and do things for themselves. n The manager and staff monitor children's progress closely. This enables them to quickly recognise any gaps in development and provide children with individual support to catch up in their learning. All children make good progress. n Children have good opportunities to develop their physical skills. For example, they dance to music, ride on trikes, skip and jump. They develop a good understanding of the importance of healthy lifestyles. For example, they know that raising their pulse rate through exercise is good for the heart and learn how to make healthy food choices. n Staff are calm, caring and kind and form good relationships with children. Consequently, children are happy, settled and are confident. Staff continuously offer praise, which helps children build their self-esteem and feel proud of their achievements. n The dedicated and passionate manager shows a good commitment to the

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need to do better?

professional development of her team. This plays an integral part in the development of the nursery. The manager places a high priority on the well- being of staff. As a result, staff feel valued and enjoy working at the nursery. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported effectively. Staff consider how additional funding is spent and check that it is making the intended difference for those children.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that staff receive regular training about child protection and safeguarding issues. They follow robust recruitment processes to help to ensure that adults are suitable to work with children. Staff confidently fulfil their role to protect children from harm. They know the possible signs of abuse and what to do should they have any concerns about a child. Staff receive regular updates about wider safeguarding issues, such as the risks of children being exposed to extremist views. Children are well supervised to help keep them safe.

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should:

n extend the ways staff develop children's confidence to talk about their play and learning experiences n organise group activities more effectively to fully include and engage all those taking part, particularly the youngest children.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY557024 Local authority North Somerset Inspection number 10190085 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises Registers Early Years Register Day care type Full day care

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inspection

Total number of places 30 Number of children on roll 40 Name of registered person The Academy Nursery School Ltd

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reference number

Telephone number 07557643306 Date of previous inspection Not applicable

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Information about this early years setting

The Academy Nursery School is located in Portishead, North Somerset. It operates from within the Academy of Gymnastics. The nursery school operates Monday to Thursday from 8.00am to 4.30pm, during school term times only. The nursery employs five members of staff, four of whom hold a qualification at level 6 and one who holds an appropriate early years qualification at level 3. The setting offers funded places for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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Inspection activities

n This was the first routine inspection the provider received since the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the provider and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the provider. n The inspector observed the staff's interactions with the children indoors and outdoors and assessed the impact these have on children's learning. n The inspector carried out a joint observation with the deputy manager and discussed the children's progress and achievements. n The inspector held discussions with the manager, deputy, staff, and children at appropriate times during the inspection. n The inspector looked at a sample of the nursery's documents. This included evidence of staff suitability and training. n The inspector took account of the views of parents through feedback sheets and those spoken to on the day. n The inspector and the manager completed a learning walk across all areas of the

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Inspection activities

nursery to understand how the early years provision and the curriculum are organised.

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Inspection activities

We carried out this inspection under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards of provision that is registered on the Early Years Register. The registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for children's learning, development and care, known as the early years foundation stage.

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Inspection activities

30 September 2021 regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children's services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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